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SamohtaC - Cath Thomas

Welcome to my blog! I love beading and this blog is an attempt to share a few of my beady tries and things, thoughts and thrills and inform you about what's new (patterns, jewelry, etc..) I got hooked by the wonderful art of beading in 2004 and never stopped since then. I live in Switzerland, in a small town between Geneva and Lausanne.

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Thursday, May 16, 2019

When I saw the Beadworkers Guild challenge theme for 2019, "Jewels of the Nile", my first thought was to not make a collar. No way! Because there are so many out there already and amazing ones. So I searched for what could be another Jewel of the Nile and found the Egyptian blue lotus flower and god Nefertum.

Oh my!

Nymphaea caerulea. The Egyptian blue lotus is, in fact, a waterlily, but most call
it the Egyptian blue lotus

I instantly fell in love with this beautiful waterlily and started
my first creation immediately: a small vessel for tooth picks
representing the waters of the Nile with the flower floating atop of
it.

However, this was not a very stable construction, and the crystal beads in the vessel - which is a bola canastas made with diagonal Cellini peyote - cut the thread without mercy. Twice...

This had the merit to answer my question as to keep the flower as a toothpick holder or not: I repaired the vessel mimicing the art of Kitsugi to forever remind me that crystals are not bola-friendly, and made that a nice toothpick holder, and created a barrette with the flower (not yet finished).

This is a sign that Eddie didn't hear it this way (Eddie is my muse and tyrant). He wanted a wesekh. Nefertum's wesekh. Bead woven. Of course!
The
rules of the Guild's challenge say "we urge members to concentrate on
the personal challenge - to be as good as they can, rather than
pitting themselves against others". Bead embroidery would not have been
easy for me. Rather the contrary. But to weave a dense collar
with a curve that doesn't ruffle yet still moves with the wearer's
movements, is a challenge, at least for me. So I gave in.

But before writing more about the making of the collar, I wish to tell more about lord Nefertum and his attribute, the sacred blue lotus:

Antelope with
lotus flower

The Egyptian sacred Lotus flower

While doing my research, I discovered that lotus flowers can be seen in countless ancient Egyptian tomb wall paintings and temple carvings, from the oldest to the most recent dynasties. It is everywhere: in people's hair or hands, in large collars, on piles of offerings to the gods, etc. Even around an antelope's neck. Some temples even have columns with lotus-inspired forms.

In early Egyptian mythology, Nefertum was believed to be the first god, the young Atum (Nefertum means beautiful Atum, or youthful Atum), who came out of the blue out of a blue lotus that emerged from the primeval waters of Nun. He cried because he was alone and his tears created humanity.

Atum was a solar deity, so Nefertum represented the sunrise. He matured into Atum during the day before passing into the world of the dead with every sunset.

Later, as time wore on, Atum became assimilated into Ra (as Atum-Ra), the sacred scarab became the symbol of the rising sun, and so it came to be that people regarded Nefertum as a separate deity. The lotus flower never lost its popularity though. Rather the contrary.

In the Pyramid Texts (book of the death), Nefertum is said to be the scent of the lotus flower which is held before the nose of the aging god Ra:

"Rise like Nefertum from the blue water lily, to the nostrils of Ra (the creator and sungod), and come forth upon the horizon each day."

Priest (botanist or
aromatherapist?)
with botanical
attributes and
offerings.

I think that the heavenly smell of the flower is both a memory and a 'promise': the soon to come rebirth in the lotus flower (the next morning). For the Egyptians, the flower represented rebirth and they celebrated the passing of a dear one as the beginning of a new life. Of course there are many other - sometimes contradictory - legends and myths and gods.

Nefertum eventually became the lord of perfumes, patron of the cosmetic and healing arts derived from flowers. Associated to other medicinal flowers, such as geranium (another divine smell) and cornflower, he could be described as the archetypal aromatherapist.

Actually, this blue lotus study made me order blue lotus essential oil. It smells divine and has no narcotic effects. Learn more about my love of scents in my article Perfumes and Pomanders.

What is a wesekh and / or a menat

I thought that a broad collar was called a menat, another name of goddess Hathor, whose attribute was a collar with a heavy counterpoise. It was used by her and her priestesses as a rattle for blessings.
In fact, wesekh is the name of the large Egyptian collar, thought to have many (protective) properties, hence worn by men and by women, and the menat is the name of the counterpoise, keeping it in place.

18th Dynasty Menat (approx. 1300 BC)

Many ancient Egyptian wesekh represent the wings of a vulture or a scarab. The golden counterpoises in the one shown below can hold it without need for a clasp. If you look at the two images below in full screen you can appreciate the fine craftsmanship of the Egyptians.

The Brooklyn Museum experts say: "For the Egyptians the lighter shade of blue was almost interchangeable with green, the color of the sea, plants, vegetation, and thus health and life. The darker shade of blue was associated with the dark primordial waters out of which creation first appeared, as well as the night sky through which the sun-god traveled to be reborn every morning. Naturally, blue-green faience and blue glass were cheaper alternatives to turquoise and lapis-lazuli."

Obviously, bugle beads and dagger beads are not new beads :) Isn't this amazing?

The ancient Egyptians invented enameling. They were master goldsmiths. They were masters at bead making and bead weaving. They even made some sort of seed beads. The piece above includes incredibly tiny seed beads. Looking closer at it, I realized that my collar looks as if it is made with a method very similar to the one they used.

The Egyptians already used peyote stitch to weave seed beads. A pair of beaded sandals found back in King Tut's tomb attests of this technique and of the "seed" beads existing already back then (although probably not made like seed beads, but rather one by one, by hand...)

King Tutankhamon's sandals made with "peyote" stitch

Making of my challenge piece, Nefertum's wesekh

I found the idea of humans created by the tears of the morning sun or god a wonderful legend, so I planned on including teardrops in the collar as a main design feature. Even if faceted gemstones, or diamonds, are not present in ancient Egyptian jewellery, this was the story that I decided to translate.

To create the right curve, I worked on my dress-maker's doll.
In this image you can see two Egyptian cat charms which I
renounced to include in the design.

Except for the earring findings, I had everything in my stash. It's funny how one can collect bits and pieces and keep them for a special piece, and suddenly it all comes together: real gold plated superduos, seed beads and Tila beads from Miyuki, all kept for a special occasion. This was the special occasion. I had genuine carnelian cabochons, a stone valued by the Egyptians, and tiny Carnelian round beads, turquoise pinch beads (which are close in form to the oblong beads used in many antique collars), vintage German glass cabochon, and perfectly matching Czech seed and bugle beads, all in the Egyptian's favorite colors: turquoise, lapis and dark red.

Like all important deities, one of Nefertum's attributes is the Ankh symbol. I first thought of using it for the clasp, but my second carnelian cabochon had a white stripe across and was begging to be transformed into a scarab. I made a scarab clasp with it. At the end of this article, you will find more about the making of the clasp.

I didn't keep the Ankh symbol, but the bottom part became the lotus flower stem.

RAW and MRAW stitches were used for the bezels (also for the matching earrings) - the photo of the cab left shows the cabochon in a bezel I didn't keep.

The gold-plated Egyptian charms which I also had remained unused. I didn't want the collar to shout "Egypt" but rather suggest it

Sticky thumbpad

Techniques used: a mix of netting and DW for a dense weave. It was difficult to get the curve right, but the result is so delightful to wear. It perfectly adapts to my neck and movements and doesn't ruffle!

I made a handy tool to work on the bust: a sticky thumb-pad! I rolled a post-it around my thumb for this. I need to buy a real sticky pad to transform it into a more practical thumb-pad!

Decisions, decisions....

For the bottom row I tried several options before deciding on the final one.

For the clasp and the bead-embroidered lotus flower, I used very thick blue leather for backing. It was very hard to pierce with the needle and I had to use grip tape, but it allowed me to nicely finish the edges of the lotus flower with a herringbone edge.

Lotus flower - back

All parts of this collar were started over several times, but it is the lotus flower for which I hesitated the most. I love 3-dimensional bead weaving and of course tried to use it. I abandoned that idea after two different 3D versions for the flower, which didn't match the design style. I was stunned by how the Egyptian "feel" disappeared instantly.

To achieve the desired look, I opted for bead embroidery. In the October 2018 journal of the BWG, Priscilla Jones explained how she made her beaded swans (shown in a previous journal). I followed her advice to use gold seed beads to outline the petals of the flower, as an homage to the invention of enameling by the Egyptians. I mixed peyote stitch with the embroidery stitches for the leaves, and added tiny 2mm carnelian round beads to have the flower motif pop out.

To create the look of a sun rising above the lotus flower I first tried a transparent join, using crystal teardrop beads, but a "floating" lotus looked odd when worn. After several unsatisfying tests, I decided to attach the flower in the same way as the teardrops to the matching earrings (which I had finished already). The herringbone edge was perfect to make this join: it offers a 4 thread-join but is not too thick, and holds everything perfectly in place. And voilà, here is the result:

Although I made the clasp first, I kept its "making of" for the end of this article. It took some serious brainstorming to create. It appears to also offer a good counter-poise balancing the weight of the front pendant which would normally pull / deform the neckline.

Matching earrings

As for challenging myself: nearly everything in this collar was out of my comfort zone: unusual colors (for me), stitches I nearly never use, bead embroidery, and a difficult theme for my usual style: it is hard to keep proportions small or medium when it comes to this magnificent civilization.

My beading mat looked like a battle field.

The making of the clasp

A few explanations how I made the scarab-clasp - it took more time thinking than making.

First I made the scarab bezel for the cab and two
leather ovals with matching magnets.

I used one of the leather ovals to back the cabochon and
I backed the second oval
with a 3rd leather oval.

The clasp is approx. 13mm high (a half inch).

I bezeled the small glass cabochon, also backed it with leather.

Then I connected the small cabochon to the leather back part of the clasp.

I managed to include some 3D peyote: little legs (articulated) for the scarab. A left and a right part.

The left legs are attached to the back part of the clasp and the right legs are attached to the upper (cabochon) part of the clasp.

The bottom legs can hide in the open space between the two clasp parts, or not, because they are articulated.

Clasp - open

Clasp - closed

I couldn't be happier with this necklace. When I wear it, I feel amazing!

Cherry on the cake: the hubby said that Cleopatra would have killed to have it!

One more photo of the earrings:

I love how they let the light shine through.

Thank you very much fore reading this long article!

Cath,

incredibly happy winner of the first place in the "Expert" category of the BWG 2019 Challenge.

Become a member of the Beadworker's Guild - we're a beautiful family of beaders united by our love of beading, and get their beautiful Journal 4 times per year

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

It's been a while since I wanted to write an article about beading "safety". Because we need to take care of our bodies when beading, and not only our bodies. Most of you already know this, but still, sometimes one short video can make a huge difference, like Dr. Mandell's. If you are happy with your daily exercises, so may still like to read the part about needles and my mini-sponges at the end of this article.

Frequent issues

Just like knitters, we sit a lot, and our arms, hands, fingers, neck, back and eyes
are much solicited.

A pinched nerve in the neck can provoke numb fingers. Frequent, short repetitive movements often result in tendonitis or RSI, if not frozen shoulder(s). The carpal tunnel may suffer from extensive use of pliers and other tools. These affections can take many months to heal and sometimes even surgery is inevitable.

Prevention is definitely better!

Gentle exercises for the hands and fingers

On the Internet you can find a variety of tips and lists of things that are helpful. Personally, except for the first exercise, I really like this list of exercises for knitters.

Gentle exercises for the neck and shoulders

For the arms, neck and shoulders, I find this video by Paula Lay Yoga to be invaluable.

In this video, the quite awesome Dr. Mandell shows an amazing tip for a 30 second pain relief massage in the neck.

and here a few stretches that you can do anywhere, just sitting on a chair:

Don't sit many hours in a row

Perhaps a beeper ringing every 45 min. or 1 hour to
remind you of standing up from your beading seat can help you.

You need to move your body for other reasons than to avoid pain and stiffness. Without entering into details, know that soliciting the muscles and the skeleton through physical activity stimulates the osteoblasts, hence bone remodeling, (which is a life-long process: your bones have to regenerate all the time). Also, your skin needs a bit of sun to fix vitamin D, an other element necessary to fix calcium. So make walks in the sun as often as you can. If you can't go out in the sun, consider asking your doctor for Calcium and vit. D supplementation.

Remember that regular movement is more important than occasional spectacular efforts which might harm. It doesn't need to be athletic. Gardening is a physical activity, as is walking to the nearby shop and dancing. I often do a bit of tap dancing in my corridor (no I will not show this in a video, lol).

Note that as with all tips on the internet, these recommendations do not replace the advice of medical professionals. Some exercises might not be the right ones for you. For example, in the video below you will see how to knot two yoga belts for neck and
shoulder relief. It is some sort of posture brace. I found it helpful to better control my posture, to better keep my back straight. I used 2 scarfs. But it might not be good for you. Know your body, know your needs, and seek medical advice if you have pain or doubts.

Working place

If you bead a lot, make sure to have a comfy chair with
arm rests at the right height for you. Braces can help if you bead in your lap or don't have adjustable arm
rests. If you sit at a table make sure that your beading mat is at a comfortable
height for your eyes and arms - some people like to raise their tray a bit. Sit straight. Use the right tools. Invest in good pliers if you use them often. Find grip tape for your fingers to have a better hold on your needle if necessary - especially when working with leather. It may also protect your digits from a sting of the back of the needle.

Spare your beautiful eyes. Have good (day-) light. Have your eyes checked by an optician - often it is a free service. Have good glasses and a magnifier for the very small details.

If you use metallic beads (gold and silver plated, etc.) I
recommend to bead in a place near a window for good natural light, but out of the
sun, and no extra (lamp or spot) light, because these beads will shine a
gazillion little spots of light straight back in your eyes, which is
very tiring but also potentially dangerous. Pauses are as important for
the eyes as for the body. If you bead outside, don't forget that the sun
might not be your best ally.

Needles

Needles are DANGEROUS. Be careful with them. Always. Be it for your own, your kid's or your pet's safety (believe me that if you don't find your needle back, your dog will!). If a needle disappears, everything has to stop, until it has been found, no matter how long it might take. I use only one needle per beading mat, so no more beading can be done if I don't find it back. I know people who still have a needle in a tight, impossible to remove, others who were lucky to not become disabled by a needle found back by their foot, which is atrociously painful. A telescopic magnet is a great tool. It has helped me find back needles, especially on my balcony.

Avoid infections

Now, if you sting your finger(s) with a beading needle, which is often very thin, it doesn't necessarily bleed, or only very little. This is not a good thing. To avoid a swollen finger or infection, encourage bleeding at the site of puncture. Do this immediately. Push the blood in the direction of the sting to "wash" it from the inside out, possibly under running cool water for several minutes. This way potential infectants are expelled from the wound and washed
away, minimizing their entry into the bloodstream.

Gently cleanse the site with plenty of soap after you have bled it. This will help kill bacteria, removing sources of infection and reducing the chance of infection. Alcohol, which is what I use, is also a good option.
Do not suck the wound. Our mouth is full of bacteria of all sorts.
Dry and cover the site with a plaster that will let your skin breathe. Depending on how badly you stung your finger and how fast you heal, the plaster doesn't need to be kept on for very long, but it will remind you of putting on gloves to wash the dishes so that it remains dry and heals faster.

Make your own mini-sponge!

A good knife cuts foam well

When you bead, of course you have clean hands - no sticky fingers on our beads or cabochons, sacrilège But when it comes to wet the tip of the thread to put a needle onto it more easily, how many have done this with their lip balm or saliva? I've learned the latter when I learned sewing! It was hard to unlearn, but out of respect for customers who certainly don't want to share my DNA and germs through the jewellery that I make, I used a very old little boxed sponge to wet my thread end. It is normally an old office supply thing meant for wetting fingers or stamps. Since stamps are nearly all self-adhesive and bank notes are counted by machines nowadays, I couldn't find new ones and it needed replacement. Also, because I wanted to show this solution to my workshop students, I decided to make my own.

Any container or foam should work for this. I had small hard plastic bead boxes from Preciosa, which appear to be really practical to take with me. I cut a sponge into little squares of the size of the little boxes and all that was left to do is add a bit of water. It is lightweight and doesn't take much space on a beading mat. Of course you need to let the sponge dry from time to time (but the lid is handy for transportation of a wet sponge).

I hope that you find this article helpful. Let me know your thoughts!

And... should you need a new pair of earrings (ear huggers or dangles), maybe you will like to try my latest design, the Fandango Earrings.

You will turn heads (I did!), but now at least you know Dr. Mandell's amazing tip for a 30 seconds pain relief massage! 😉

About Me

I am Dutch and live in Switzerland since 1980.I am happily married and my favorite activity is off-loom beadweaving, bead embroidery and other techniques, to make jewelry and sometimes objects. Beading is a wonderful art.